OCTOBER 24, 2018 • Volume 13 • Issue 43
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
Online at www.AmesTrib.com/realestateweekly
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day is about to get better business is about to get better
Maybe all your business needs is a strong cup o’marketing.
515-232-2160 | www.amestrib.thrivehive.com
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What to do with
fallen leaves
By Laura Firszt
More Content Now
A
utumn leaves are gorgeous, all right … until you have to actually do something about them. Unfortunately, leaving fallen foliage on your lawn to rot is not the best option; it annoys the neighbors and kills your grass. Nor is simply bagging and trashing them an ecologically responsible course of action. No, we’re sorry to say homeowners will have to get up off the couch and take care of that red, gold, and orange mass in their yard. To help you out, here are six suggestions on what to do with fallen leaves — and a couple of caveats on what not to do.
What to do with fallen leaves Have fun. Before you buckle down to the serious business of getting fallen leaves out of the way, take a little time to play with them. Whatever your age, mound up those crispy crunchy leaves into a gigantic pile that you can then jump or even roll in. Decorate the house for Halloween or Thanksgiving with festive (albeit short-lived) leaf bouquets or wreaths. Experiment with seasonal crafts — old favorites like leaf pressing or new-to-you pastimes such as leaf casting. Mulch. Turn old leaves into mulch using your lawn mower. Then spread this precious mulch in your garden beds and around tree bases to limit weeds and hold moisture in the soil. Small amounts of leaves can be turned into mulch with normal mowing, but as they pile higher, add a mulch attachment to your mower to make the task easier. Don’t just leave the leaves on your yard as is. Whole leaves, especially larger varieties, will choke your plants by blocking their supply of water and oxygen. Till. If you are already planning to till some garden beds for produce or annual flowers, feel free to work shredded leaves into the earth at the same time. As the leaf shreds decompose over the winter (a little slow-release nitrogen fertilizer will help the process along), they'll provide a ton of benefits to your soil, such as: boosted nutrient content, improved soil structure, and an earthworm-friendly environment.
Compost. Dry tree foliage makes carbon–rich “brown matter” to balance the greens in your compost pile. Once again, shredding leaves will help them to decompose more quickly; so will turning the pile every 4-5 days. Cover the compost as the weather cools to keep it warm and dry. You might also consider saving a bag or two of well-dried leaves to mix into your compost next spring, when brown matter will be in shorter supply. Create a lasagna garden. Put together a batch of lasagna that feeds your plants, not your friends and family. Simple to assemble right on the soil, it’s perfect for revitalizing a section of your yard that is currently barren or choked with weeds. The recipe: one sheet of cardboard or several thicknesses of old newspaper, soaked with water and topped with alternating layers of brown (your dead leaves) and green matter (lawn clippings and vegetable scraps from the kitchen), lasagna-style. Keep root vegetables fresh. Store root crops such as beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, yams, and more nestled in autumn leaves. Spray lightly with water. This will keep them fresh for holiday meals and on through the winter — until your new baby lettuces and other spring veggies are ready to harvest.
What NOT to do with fallen leaves Don’t burn or trash. Don’t use dead leaves as fireplace kindling; the National Fire Protection Association warns that this can cause house fires. Don’t add them to the country’s already overfull landfills, either. Don’t mulch these leaves. Black walnut, butternut, hickory, and pecan trees produce juglone, a chemical that can be seriously toxic to other plants in large quantities. Reactions include stunted growth, wilting, and sudden death. Interestingly, it’s fine to compost these leaves. Just be sure to allow at least a year for the juglone to break down, making the mix safe to use in your garden. Does all this sound like too much effort? Don’t worry — you can always hire a landscaper to take care of your fallen leaves for you.
Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
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TIPS OF THE WEEK TIP OF THE WEEK
SECURITY
HVAC
PREP FOR WINTER
MINIMIZE THE RISKS
QUESTIONS TO ASK
Here are tips for winterizing your home from LeakSmart: • Seal off any cracks and gaps with caulk, and check entrances for signs of worn or broken weatherstripping. • Freezing temperatures amplify the risk of water damage. Protect your home with a smart home device that detects leaks and shuts off your home’s main water supply. • To help prevent ice dams and dangerous hanging icicles, clean the gutters and downspouts of leaves and other debris.
These tips come from a police home safety evaluation: • Get outdoor flood lights. Make sure the bulbs are working. • Place an alarm sign in your yard. • Buy indoor and outdoor cameras. • Trim bushes outside of windows below the window line. For more information, visit www.flocksafety. com/securityhacks.
Ask these questions when looking for the right HVAC solution for your home, according to Luxaire: • Is the unit the right size for your home? • What is the proper Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating for your home? • What maintenance will be involved with my unit? — Brandpoint
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DEAR MONTY
A tragedy plan is needed when your assets include real estate We have regular bills to pay. What should I do? Can you help? Monty’s answer: I am sorry for your loss and your situation. Here are some actions you can take immediately to provide relief: RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: My husband passed away unexpectedly very recently. He handled all our finances. We own income property and other assets, but I don’t know where any documents are or how to find them. I asked for information many times, but he never gave it to me. I don’t know the password to his computer. Our children live out of the area and cannot help.
Take the computer to a computer repair store, or a store that sells and repairs the brand you own. According to a store I checked with, they can break in about 95 percent of the time. You may find a list of passwords, an address book, or accounts from which to gather information. If you have a joint credit card, who issued it? Many people bank online (look in bookmarks and web history) and go paperless. Paperless means no statement in your mailbox. If they are not
joint accounts, you may have to go to the bank in person with an original copy of the death certificate to obtain information. Bank statements will provide account numbers, payees and amounts paid to identify your vendors. Is there a safety deposit or post office box key on a keychain? Another good source of data is a title insurance company. These private companies insure the title to all property and have access to your property records. If you have an address, they can tell you which lender holds a mortgage. If the first two action steps are fruitless, there is someone whom your husband knew that is aware of your finances. Most likely an accountant, an attorney, a commercial loan officer, or an individual working at a local
income tax service. Recalling a name, a building or place that you can connect him with may help. Who prepared your annual income tax returns? Do you know any of his friends you can ask for leads? With some detective work, you will be able to determine the identity of his adviser, or advisers. The hardest part now is making decisions on your own. Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money - An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When You Buy or Sell a Home.” He is a real estate industry veteran who advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estate advice. Find him at DearMonty.com.
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Realtors, do you want to reach a wider group of potential buyers? Advertise in the RE Weekly. In print and online.
Call Ali Eernisse 515-663-6956
RE WEEKLY